Cantilevered stairs
Cantilevered stairs, or floating stairs, are a type of staircase.
A cantilever is a beam which is anchored at only one end. Thus cantilevered stairs have a "floating" appearance[1], and they may be composed of different materials, such as wood[2], glass[3], stone[4][5], or stainless steel[6].
History
[edit]In "I quattro libri dell'architettura", Andrea Palladio commended staircases that are "void in the middle, because they can have the light from above" and because it is visible whether someone is already ascending or descending the stairs.[7]
Inigo Jones and Nicholas Stone used the technique in the Tulip Staircase at Queen's House.[7] Such stairs became common in the 18th and 19th centuries in Scotland, where they were known as "pencheck" stairs, used in Edinburgh townhouses and tenements, as well as in stately homes by Robert Adam.[8]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Floating stairs | ThinkGlass". www.thinkglass.com. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
- ↑ Moon, Kyoung Sun (2018-10-30). Cantilever Architecture. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-20136-6.
- ↑ "Cantilever and open glass stairs and best glass stair treads". 2023-11-08. Retrieved 2026-09-16.
- ↑ "Structural behavior of stone cantilever stairs: Strain monitoring under controlled loading and numerical modeling". Journal of Building Engineering. 15 October 2024. doi:10.1016/j.jobe.2024.110238.
- ↑ Hume, Ian (2011-11-29), Forsyth, Michael; White, Lisa (eds.), "Cantilever or Hanging Stone Stairs", Interior Finishes & Fittings for Historic Building Conservation, Oxford, UK: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 19–24, doi:10.1002/9781444344837.ch3, ISBN 978-1-4443-4483-7, retrieved 2026-09-08
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ↑ "A cantilever is a beam, the impression of floating stairs". 17 June 2013.
- 1 2 Taylor, Russell. "Stone Cantilevered Stairs". The Building Conservation Directory. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
- ↑ Simpson, James (July 2007). "The Evolving Stair --The development of the stair in Scottish architecture". Architectural Heritage. 18 (1): 110–112. doi:10.3366/arch.2007.18.1.99.
External links and references
[edit]- On installation of cantilever stairs
- International codes, relating to their construction
- Statistics on cantilever stairs
- What are floating stairs?
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